| Institute for the Study of War | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ISW |
| Motto | On the Front Lines of Military Thinking. |
| Formation | 2007 |
| Type | Public Policy Think Tank |
| Headquarters | 1400 16th Street NW |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| President | Kimberly Kagan |
| Website | www.understandingwar.org |
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a think tank founded in 2007 by Kimberly Kagan. ISW describes itself as a non-partisan non-profit think tank which seeks to provide research and analysis specifically regarding issues of defense and foreign affairs. ISW produces reports on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; focusing on military operations, enemy threats, and political trends in diverse conflict zones”.[1] ISW is an independent non-profit organization supported primarily by grants and contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.[2]
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The Institute for the Study of War and its President Dr. Kimberly Kagan were some of the first and strongest supporters of the controversial 'surge' strategy in Iraq.
On May 25, 2010 Dr. Kagan participated in a briefing on Capitol Hill focusing on Iraq’s political crisis that included remarks from Iraq’s Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie and Dr. Kenneth Pollack, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.[3] Dr Kagan also participated in a Brookings Institution event entitled “Prospects for Afghanistan's Future: Assessing the Outcome of the Afghan Presidential Election” alongside Dr. Michael O’Hanlon.[4] Dr. Kagan also helped produce the documentary The Surge: the Untold Story with ISW Chairman, U.S Army General Jack Keane (ret.) and LTG James Dubik (ret.) describing the battle of Iraq and how the United States won the war.[5]
ISW President Dr. Kagan has conducted eight battlefield circulations of Iraq since starting ISW for the MNF-I Commanding General, three of which were in Afghanistan for CENTCOM United States Central Command and ISAF International Security Assistance Force. She participated formally on the Joint Campaign Plan Assessment Team for Multi-National Force-Iraq - U.S. Mission- Iraq in October 2008, and as part of the Civilian Advisory Team for the CENTCOM strategic review in January 2009.[6] Dr. Kagan served in Kabul as a member of General Stanley McChrystal’s strategic assessment team, composed of civilian experts, during his strategic review in June and July 2009. She returned to Afghanistan in the summer of 2010 to assist General David Petraeus with key transition tasks following his assumption of command in Afghanistan. Dr. Kagan also serves on the Academic Advisory Board at the Afghanistan- Pakistan Center of Excellence at CENTCOM.
ISW’s research is divided into two main categories: the Iraq and Afghanistan projects. ISW’s research is made available to the general public, practitioners, policy makers, and members of the media.
The ISW's Afghanistan Project monitors and analyzes the effectiveness of Afghan and Coalition operations to disrupt enemy networks and secure the population, while also evaluating the results of Afghanistan’s 2010 Presidential election.[7]
The Afghanistan Project remains focused on the main enemy groups in Afghanistan, specifically: the Quetta Shura Taliban, the Haqqani network, and Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin.[7]
Specific attention is paid to understanding the ethnic, tribal, and political dynamics within these areas and how these factors are manipulated by the enemy and misunderstood by the Coalition. In 2010, ISW researchers testified before the United States Congress in regards to understanding the problems of corruption and use of local powerbrokers in ISAF’s Afghanistan strategy.[8]
The Iraq Project at the ISW produces fully documented reports that monitor and analyze the changing security and political dynamics within Iraq.
Institute for the Study of War President Kimberly Kagan is noted for her support of the Surge strategy in Iraq and has argued for a restructured American military strategy more generally. The Surge: the Untold Story, co-produced by ISW provides a historical account of U.S. military operations in Iraq during the Surge of forces during 2007 and 2008. As a documentary, it offers audiences a look into the story of the Surge in Iraq, as told by U.S. military commanders and diplomats as well as Iraqis.
The video documents the Iraq Surge as part of a population-centric counterinsurgency approach and features many of the top commanders and others responsible for its implementation - including Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.), Gen. David Petraeus, Amb. Ryan Crocker, Gen. Raymond Odierno, Gen. Nasier Abadi (Iraq), Col. Peter Mansoor (Ret.), Col. J.B. Burton, Col. Ricky Gibbs, Col. Bryan Roberts, Col. Sean MacFarland, Col. James Hickey, Col. David Sutherland, Col. Steven Townsend, Lt.-Col. James Crider, and Lt. James Danly (Ret.) [9]
The Surge: The Untold Story was nominated for several awards and in 2010 was a winner of a Special Jury Award at the WorldFest film festival in Houston.[10] It also won honors as the best documentary part of the Military Channel's Documentary Series at the GI Film Festival in Washington, D.C.[11]
Since the end of military operations in Iraq and after a general withdrawal of US forces there, ISW now focuses its research on the security and political dynamic now taking place there. ISW takes the view point that both Iraqi and U.S. military personnel believe that the Iraqi Security Forces will need additional training beyond 2011, but the mechanism for security this continued partnership is still uncertain.